Education is a core part of our mission. Every year, Uncle Bobby teaches a three-week course on How to Make Your Own Paddle. He also frequently hosts visitors and school groups who watch him work repairing koa canoes at the halau.

Canoe culture is deeply centered around the art and sport of outrigger canoe racing. The Puakea Foundation promotes the traditional use of koa canoes in races throughout the U.S. and also supports Men’s and Women’s teams.

In 2015, the Puakea Foundation began a long-term project to identify and catalog all of the koa wa‘a (canoes) here in Hawai‘i. We estimate there are close to 100 of them, and we are gathering details of their history and current location.